hiphopdatabasefandomcom-20200214-history
Eazy-Duz-It (Eazy-E album)
Eazy-Duz-It is the debut album of rapper Eazy-E, released on September 13, 1988, through both Ruthless and Priority Records. The production by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella was deemed dense and funky by critic Jason Birchmeier. The pieces were written primarily by MC Ren, Ice Cube, and The D.O.C.. The album's title track features Eazy rapping about himself and things that he does. "Boyz n the Hood" and "No More ?'s" are about life in Compton, California and the gangster lifestyle. The album charted on two different charts and went 2x Platinum in the United States despite minimal promotion by radio and television. Three singles were released from the album, each charting in the US. The Remastered version contains the out of print 1992 EP 5150: Home 4 tha Sick songs at the end. Recording and production Eazy-Duz-It was recorded at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California from 1987 to 1988. The album's writing was a four-pronged effort involving Eazy-E, MC Ren, Ice Cube, and The D.O.C.. MC Ren's writing style was described by Marcus Reeves, author of Somebody Scream!: Rap Music's Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power (2009), as "elaborate storytelling and acrobatic verbiage", while the D.O.C.'s included "syllabically punchy boasts" and Ice Cube wrote, "masterfully insightful first-person narratives." Ice Cube's writing was often inspired by comedians like Richard Pryor and Rudy Ray Moore. The album's production, almost solely done by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, was praised by several critics. Jason Birchmeier from Allmusic gave a considerable amount of attention to the album's production, saying that "Dr. Dre and Yella meld together P-Funk, Def Jam-style hip hop, and the leftover electro sounds of mid-80s Los Angeles, creating a dense, funky, and thoroughly unique style of their own." Birchmeier would also write that some songs—"Eazy Duz It", "We Want Eazy", "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn", and "Radio"—are all heavily produced and have "layers upon layers of samples and beats competing with Eazy-E's rhymes for attention." Rapper Kanye West also touted Dr. Dre's production on the album. Composition Glen Boyd of Blogcritics said that the album has "Deep-ass bass lines, old-school funk samples, and plenty of street smart ghetto attitude are what powers this record." Jerry Heller wrote that Eazy raps more up front on the album then he does on Straight Outta Compton, and insists that the album's lyrics contain more sexual humor than gangsta vibe. The album's title track, "Eazy-Duz-It", opens with a woman acclaiming Eazy-E's style. Eazy then interrupts saying "Bitch shut the fuck up, get the fuck outta here." This is followed by a bass line provided by Dr. Dre. Soon, Eazy begins to rap about himself and things that he does. The song declares that Eazy is a "hardcore villain" who collects money from his prostitutes, and feels great when his "pockets are fat." The chorus, repeated three times, states that he "is a gangsta having fun". The piece is laden with the aural mainstays of gangsta rap, including gunshots, and references to several drugs. "Boyz n the Hood" was written by Ice Cube, with some contribution by Eazy-E. The song is about growing up in Compton, California, and describes the gangster lifestyle. It conceives the "ghetto landscape as a generalized abstract construct… and also introduces a localized nuance that conveys a certain proximity, effectively capturing a narrowed sence of place through which young thugs and their potential crime victims move in tandem," as put by cultural historian Murray Forman. "No More ?'s" is similar to "Boyz n the Hood" in its theme. The piece begins with an interview between Eazy and a female journalist, who asks about his childhood. Eazy explains (in verse) that he was ruthless, in a gang, "specialized in gankin," (loosely, to steal from) and had no respect for rules. He is then asked if he has ever been in an armed robbery. He responds "you mean a 211?". The following verses tell of Eazy's exploits as a thief and thug. Track listing Personnel * Singles * "Eazy-Duz-It" Released: 1989 * "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn" Released: 1989 * "We Want Eazy" Released: 1989 Sampling * Links * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5150:_Home_4_tha_Sick See Also * List of Albums * 1988 hip-hop Category:Wikipedia Category:Eazy-E albums Category:1988 hip-hop Category:1988 albums Category:1980's hip-hop Category:American hip-hop Category:American hip-hop albums Category:West Coast hip-hop Category:West Coast hip-hop albums Category:Gangsta rap Category:Gangsta rap albums